iPads are forbidden for Russian officials

Russian government has forbidden the use of Apples´s iPad tablets within government agencies for security reasons, Nikolai Nikiforov, the country´s Minister of Communications and Mass Media said on Wednesday.

Reports from Russian Itar-Tass news agency indicate that the Russian government has moved from using iPads to Samsung tablets.

Samsung tablets are specially protected devices that can be used for processing confidential data. Some information at cabinet sessions is confidential, and Samsung devices completely satisfy these requirements as they have undergone the strictest certification, the minister said.

The minister added that the move is not linked to any sanctions against US-based Apple and the change happened a short time ago.

The move came after the U.S. and EU announced sanctions against Russian officials.

Russia officially annexed Crimea from Ukraine after an independence referendum on March 16 in which 96.7 percent of the regions voters chose to join the Russian Federation.

The United States and other Western countries regard the March 16 referendum in Crimea as illegitimate.

The U.S. and EU announced sanctions against Russian officials in the last weeks and their inner circles, including Russian President Vladimir Putins chief of staff, and opened the door for sanctions targeting key Russian economic sectors.

All of those sanctioned are now restricted from doing business in the U.S. or with U.S. individuals or firms and all assets that they hold in the U.S. are also frozen.

The EU also widened its sanctions list and France announced it would suspend military cooperation with Moscow while Germany has ceased approval of all defense-related exports to Russia.